If India has poor image, it is largely to do with our poor attitude and approach

On 31-December-2001, my wife asked our maid how she and her family were going to celebrate New Year. She said in despair they have debt but not money, so what is there to celebrate?

Exactly 10 years later, our same maid came to work on 1st Jan morning, mumbling song of movie Body Guard and started narrating to my wife how she celebrated New Year eve. She and entire family went to McDonald restaurant, ate burger and fries, watched midnight TV screen program, before getting back home at 2 a.m. My wife could now understand hangover of Body Guard.

Our neighbor told us that her maid was praising her stars on the midnight of New Year, as her husband fondly surprised by getting a pizza and coke for her (and of course country liquor for himself).

So, is India as poor as perceived or we feel shy to project our improving image to the world? We do not seem to take pride in how India and large section of its population have progressed. May be it is because we tend to rue and cry a lot over problems; blame everybody else from our stars to fore-fathers, genes to God for what we do not have. If nothing else, we find the Prime Minister of India as the best scapegoat to take out our frustration. Most of us would expect someone else to come to our rescue. Hence, some would believe that astrologers or horoscope readers can do that.

Such attitude does not encourage you to take pride and hold your head in high esteem for what you are and becoming. Shun above attitude, put faith in yourselves, make efforts to address your needs and shape your own destiny, then you would be on top of your world (1).

There is yet another aspect typically present in most of us. If we face a problem or crisis, we tend to distance ourselves, especially when we believe we have no or little role to play and instead, we like to point fingers. Until some weeks back, we had a problem at national level of food inflation raging high. Common perception was this is a problem of only government. All that every other person at home or street would do is to unleash acrimony in private or public or through internet, TV and print media. In the whole chain of producing food items to reaching end consumers, there are several players or agencies, which have some role to influence pricing. Rather than showing a responsible behavior, they were mostly spectator or crying foul. Now that inflation has nearly become zero, no one has remorse for what was said.

Problems are solved easily and efficiently by helping, if you can or at least not hurting by your actions or expressions (2).

So, India’s image is on the roll and by changing our attitude and approach – refer (1) and (2), we can not only accelerate our own growth; but also help that for nation.

Large part of India still live in villages, Planning commission have calculated strange figures that any urban resident who spent more the 965 a month or approximately 32 rupees a day (about 60 U.S. cents) would not be categorized as Below Poverty Line. And if you are in villages and earning 26 Rupees a day, you are rich. Though after lot of criticism Govt. have removed this condition and set an enquiry or another commission to find out how much money an individual should earn to live above poverty line.

Let’s not consider revised figure (Which will defiantly not more than 50INR per day), just talk about old figures; now tell me, how can an individual live a life in 32 INR a day or 956 INR per month?

I am not mentioning the luxury in this, Mc burger for the person earning 32INR is really not affordable.

I am in touch with many NGO’s in city; fact is that, many Indians still live on a one time meal, though they earn more than 32 INR but couldn’t buy two time meal. And condition is worst in villages. That’s shame and pity.

No doubt, India has lot of poor people; but this article is about India’s poor image. A large section of population is now able to afford, what it was not able to do 10 years back. But, our image has not changed in sync with growth that has taken place.

No doubt, the problem of poverty in India has to be tackled; but it is a different subject to deal with.